Stifels Lindsey Piegza writes that this could push out any interest rate hikes:

From a policy standpoint, should the U.S. economy post meaningful improvement between now and June, assuming the Feds concerns surrounding international risks are not reignited, policy makers appear well positioned to announce the second rate hike in less than two months time. Of course, following this mornings disappointing GDP report, its difficult to imagine a marked improvement in the economy over the next two months. More likely, the combination of stagnant economic conditions, a still-restrained consumer, and ongoing concerns regarding risks of contagion from developments abroad whether directly identified in the statement or not will make it increasingly difficult for the Fed to raise rates once in the remaining nine months of 2016, if at all.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Caseys General Stores, Inc.(CASY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

[By Lawrence Meyers]

Its been a mighty weird year for Caseys General Stores (CASY). The company has had some tough quarters, but just when things are looking bleak, the team got some runners on base and drove a few home.

[By Chad Fraser]

One chain that continues to match up well with the above criteria is Casey’s General Stores (NasdaqGS: CASY). We last highlighted the company’s strong prospects in a December 12 Investing Daily article. Since then, the stock has risen nearly 40%.

[By Mike Deane]

After the bell on Monday, Casey’s General Stores (CASY) announced its fiscal Q1 earnings, posting a strong increase in profits and overall revenues compared to the same time period last year.

The Ankeny, IA-based convenience store company announced quarterly revenues of $2.11 billion, which were up from $1.87 billion in last year’s same quarter. Profits for the company came in at $55.71 million, or $1.43 per share, compared to $39.03 million, or $1.01 per share, in last year’s Q1.

Both of these figures beat analysts’ estimates, which were EPS of $1.26 on revenues of $2.1 billion.

CASY shares were up $1.01, or 1.49%, at market close on Monday. YTD, the stock is up more than 26%.

The importance of cellular connectivity for wearables, particularly for smartwatches, has been a theme of mine since last year, and I’m glad to see other analysts and organizations starting to pick up on it. I’ve discussed Qualcomm’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) development of the Snapdragon Wear SOC that manufacturers are using for Android Wear 2 smartwatches with LTE connectivity, such as the LG Watch Sport (OTC:LGEAF). Such watches provide voice calling and cellular data connections and anticipate the future direction of the smartwatch.

[By SEEKINGALPHA.COM]

There are other areas of smartphone innovation pursued by other companies besides Apple. The development of OLED screens has been a significant innovation pursued mainly by Korean giants Samsung (OTC:SSNLF) and LG (OTC:LGEAF). It is now being reported that Samsung and LG will introduce smartphones with foldable OLED screens this year.

Merck could achieve a consistent advantage versus BMS in treatment of 1L NSCLC. There is a precise crossroad that will determine the future of these two companies in this field: the question of whether or not Keytruda will be approved in May. Both the market and investors believe that it will indeed gain approval and BMS’s stock is already paying for that. In the short term, the repercussions will be the contractions in the sales of Opdivo in 2L and a bigger obstacle for Opdivo+Yervoy in 1L. But the BMS’s combo can catch up, thanks to a bigger efficacy, as I will explain in a future article. Meanwhile, a recent trial established that Merck has to pay BMS $625M plus royalties, as it infringed BMS’s intellectual property related to the use of anti-PD1 antibodies. The royalties will be 6.5% for sales between January 2017 and the end of 2023, followed by a 2.5% rate for the period from January 2024 to the end of 2026. Bristol-Myers Squibb will share the money by giving a quart er of the amount to the Japanese Ono Pharmaceutical (OTC:OPHLF), the company which had discovered Opdivo.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Iridium Communications Inc(IRDM)

Advisors’ Opinion:

[By Jim Robertson]

Trump’s proposal to spin off air traffic control from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bodes well for small cap satellite stock Iridium Communications (NASDAQ: IRDM), but theres a bigger opportunity for the Company in theInternet of Things (IoT) space. Technology company Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) is already a leading candidate to supply the FAA with real-time aircraft tracking data in partnership with Iridium Communications with the latter having a joint venture that has partnered with air traffic control authorities in Canada, Italy, Ireland and Denmark to provide air traffic surveillance (in cooperation with Harris).

Outerwall (NASDAQ: OUTR) plummeted 12.08% to $49.21 after the company lowered its forecast for the third quarter and full year.

JinkoSolar Holding Co (NYSE: JKS) dropped 9.88% to $16.87 after the company announced the offering of 3,500,000 American Depositary Shares.

[By Monica Gerson]

Shares of Outerwall Inc (NASDAQ: OUTR) surged over 8 percent in Monday’s after-hours trading session following news for investors the company has begun the process of exploring strategic and financial alternatives. Outerwall’s Board also announced the raising of the company’s quarterly dividend from $0.30 to $0.60 per share. Outerwall shares jumped 8.11 percent to $37.18 in the after-hours trading session.

[By Monica Gerson]

Outerwall (NASDAQ: OUTR) lowered its forecast for the third quarter and full year. Outerwall shares dipped 19.96% to $44.80 in after-hours trading.

[By Jake L’Ecuyer]

Equities Trading DOWN Shares of Outerwall (NASDAQ: OUTR) were down 16.03 percent to $47.00 after the company lowered its forecast for the third quarter and full year. Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) shares tumbled 4.71 percent to $23.26 after the company issued a weak third-quarter profit forecast. Bank of America downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral. Pandora Media (NYSE: P) down, falling 1.71 percent to $23.58 as the company announced its plans to sell 14 million shares of common stock, including 4 million shares from current stockholders.

[By Monica Gerson]

Outerwall (NASDAQ: OUTR) dipped 19.33% to $45.15 in the pre-market session after the company lowered its forecast for the third quarter and full year.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) by 207.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,000,670 shares of the company’s stock after bu

There have been some macroeconomic signs that America's housing boom is starting to show signs of fatigue, but those figures haven't really shown up in the earnings reports of most homebuilders. The one exception is Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH). While most companies are still showing strong home

Sturm Ruger & Company Inc (NYSE:RGR) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, August 1st, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 17th will be paid a dividend of 0.34 per share on Friday, August 31st. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividen